


Why We Fall

by WesternRose



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Possession, Akumatized Main Character(s), Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Boss/Employee Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Parent(s), Love, Manipulation, Miraculous Ladybug PV, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Partner Betrayal, Protective Alya Césaire, Strong Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:48:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23127292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WesternRose/pseuds/WesternRose
Summary: Just graduating high school, Marinette gets the job of her dream in the biggest fashion company in the world: Gabriel Fashion. While she expects to work hard and give all of herself to her passion for fashion, she doesn't expect to give all of her passion to an intense workplace romance that will shake the very foundation of Paris.
Relationships: Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 2
Kudos: 77





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Prologue: Gabriel will do what he must to acquire the miraculous's.

Understanding the difference between self-sacrifice and self-harm is the sequencing that leads to irrefutable success. It’s a shame Ms. Dupain-Cheng doesn’t understand that. 

With a laborious sigh, Gabriel Agreste slowly sunk into the chair with both hands massaging the back go his neck. The room was still, with his soft breathing, the only sound to be heard. The moonlight did not creep over his window-cill but instead strode through his glass walls with terrible confidence. His weary eyes strained to see the time on his watch.

1:47 A.M

Gabriel let out an exasperated sigh, kicking off his shoes before sitting slumped off the side of his bed. Why did the world detest him as much as it did, he queried. He was correctly raised, was given the best education available, was given the most spectacular opportunities, fell in love with the most amazing woman who gave birth to his beautiful baby boy. The man exhaled, laying, looking into the nothingness of the dark ceiling. As it turns out, everything leading up to this point in his life is the set up for some twisted joke. Hilarious, he thought. 

If only Adrien would listen. If only he wouldn’t be so foolish, sentimental, optimistic, while thinking he can be a hero. Just like Emilie, his wife. Stupid, stupid boy. Leaping from rooftops with nothing but a baton to save his skull from the streets below. 

Gabriel’s lips curled in a humorless grin. Adrien jumping from building to building in something so tacky. Disgusting. What’s even more disgusting the cat-eared boy’s hopeless adoration for his ‘incredible’ partner, the miraculous Ladybug; that self-sacrificing halfwit of a girl. It’s pitiful, knowing how ardently she had worked to keep her and his sons identities a secret. How sad it is to know that his son’s heart aches a little more every day without knowing who the ‘love of his life’ is. The CEO closed his eyes. How sad that Ladybug, or Ms. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will never discover his sons’ alternate-self. 

Amid the frenzying creatures that make up Gabriel’s mind, a sliver of comfort may be found: the certainty that Gabriel has a plan so logical and calculated that there is a rate of zero percent failure. 

Gabriel Agreste, king of the fashion world, would lure Marinette Dupain-Cheng so deep into the lairs of his life that she would have to rip out her own heart to escape. 

He closed his eyes at last, overwhelmed at once with his ever-mounting exhaustion. Sleep came fast and unrelenting as a single thought dominated his mind: 

She. Will. Fall.


	2. The Late Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The seed he planted for Adrien to tend to was almost sure to be of use. His eyes narrowed, strained by the dark.   
> Yes, Ms. Dupain-Cheng would wander into the wolves den soon enough.

The alarm clock was as loud as her regrets about going to bed so late. She rolled over with an annoyed groan with a fuzzy pleading of, "Five more minutes..." A small tap on Marinette's cheek made her crack one eye open; red filled her vision. 

"Marinette!" A bright, squeaky voice chirped. "You have to get up! You're going to be late for breakfast with Alya!" 

"But," Marinette yawned sleepily, "It's the weekend."

Tiki buzzed impatiently. "Yes, Marinette, but remember you planned this breakfast two weeks ago! You and Alya have been so busy since graduating that it's so hard to find time to spend together!" 

Long hair sticking out in every direction like an annoyed cat, Marinette stretched while squinting out her skylight. "What time are we supposed to meet again?" The blue-eyed girl dozed. 

"Nine thirty today!"

With eyebrows scrunched together, the baker balked, "And... Um, What time is it now...?"

Big eyes squinting and tiny arms crossed, Tiki answers deadpan, "Nine twenty." 

"Tiki! Why didn't you wake me up earlier," the secreted superhero bemoaned, stumbling and tripping out of bed towards the closet. With inhuman speeds, Marinette tightened her hair in pigtails, reaching her waist and threw on the nearest sundress hanging from the wall, all while brushing her teeth in harmony with her now staggering down the stairs. 

Stuffing a croissant in her mouth, she called out between chews, "Going to bwrakfas wif Awya! Be bwack waiter!"

As she sprinted towards the agreed-upon café, Marinette couldn't help but notice how cloudy the sky was. It looked almost as if it were nearing dusk rather than nearing noon. A heaviness from the weather tried to worm its way into her stress born running, but she pushed it away as soon as she felt that looming gloominess. She couldn't afford to be sad right now; she was about to meet up with Alya!

Since graduating high school, Marinette has been working official shifts at her parent's bakery. Every second she had free, she would be sewing and designing and searching Paris for inspiration. Well, aside from her secret duties. Being ladybug had become less stressful as she became desensitized to the sporadicness and unpredictability of akumas. However, it still didn't make her any less irritated when they ruined her carefully laid out plans. Being as busy as she was, akumas sure made her schedule a lot messier! With working and designing and saving Paris daily, fitting in her social life was more complicated than you'd think. 

Alya started working as the coffee girl for the local newspaper a couple of months be graduating, so by the time Alya and Marinette did graduate; the lady-blogger was able to get a promotion! Skip forward two years to now with both Marinette and Alya being twenty, Alya is now a full-time writer and reporter with horribly scarce free-time. It was practically a miracle that they both had this morning off to catch up with each other—Marinette glanced down at her phone between pants—that is, if she could make it to breakfast on time. 

Flying into the cafe, Marinette spotted chin-length hombre hair and hurled herself into the chair next to Alya. Leaning on her friend's shoulder with sweat dripping down her forehead like rain, she slumped into her friend's side even more as Alya chuckled. Looking at the clock hanging from the wall, it was precisely nine-thirty. Marinette was so relieved at her timed success that she had ultimately neglected to notice the two other guests sitting at the table. 

"Duuuude, what's shakin'?"

Marinette startled out of her slump, finally seeing the two individuals across from her; the bluenettes mouth dropped like a bowling ball into a floundering gape. 

"Nino, Adrien?!" 

Adrien sent a gentle, amused smile her way. "Good morning, Marinette. It's so good to see you." 

"Bu-bu-bu-but, you," her hands moved in a frenzy as she spoke, "and you, and you and, wait, I don't; huh?!" 

Grabbing a menu, Alya gave a couple timely, 'tsk's.' 

"Come on, girl. You know better than that; didn't I tell you I might be bringing some guests with me?" 

Marinette said nothing in reply in favor of staring at the unexpected guests. 

Nino and Alya have been in a relationship since high school and have been going strong since then. The man had become a well-reputable DJ over a few years and is continuing to build up his reputation. 

Adrien, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter. After school, his father sent him off to the United States for schooling and modeling opportunities. His small going away party, lead by Nino, of course, was nearly heartbreaking. Their whole class came to see Adrien off, and everyone left with teary eyes and watery goodbyes. Marinette had an especially hard time seeing him leave. When he left for the U.S, she had to force herself to see the reality of her crush; it was never going to happen. She and Adrien were never going to get married and have three kids and two hamsters; they snuggle or kiss or love each other like she'd been dreaming of for so long. The night Adrien left, she wept until the sun came up. It was wearing to let go of her unrequited love, for just as she had to make that fancy fly free, she had to say goodbye to Chat Noir, too. Weeks before Adrien left, Chat Noir told her with a heavy heart that he would be leaving Paris. He promised he'd back someday, but that gave her no comfort. Having Chat and Adrien leave Paris left two wholes in her heart that she had to sew up over time slowly. She missed them both, but she had to accept that maybe she had no choice but to let go. 

Seeing Adrien here in front of her was startling. His hair hadn't changed must, but his demeanor seemed different. His eyes were soft and kind; the crinkles around them more endearing than ever before. His arms and face became unsurprisingly chiseled, and freshly found freshwater pearls made up his smile. He looked so much more adult then when she had last seen him. However, the starkest difference in his self would be the look in his eyes. He looked happy, sincerely, and undeniably delighted with life. Marinette searched her heart for the romantic love she held for the man in front of her and found something she had not expected: she found a deep desire for his friendship rather than for his romance. 

"Girl, aren't you going to say hi?" Alya mock-whispered with a wink. 

Marinette shifted in her seat, "I, um, I, well, uh," 

Nino, with a fond grin on his face, released a deep chuckle. "Marinette, dudette, it's so rad to see you. My bro here and I've been so pumped for this! You look good; tired but good." 

Properly frazzled, Marinette nods bashfully. 

"It's been hectic at the shop, and then there are all the designs for applications I've been making, and then there's the fact that I also have to-" She cuts herself off. 

Alya nudges her playfully. "The fact you have to what?"

"Nothing, nothing. It doesn't really matter... Um, so, what have you guys been doing? How are you?"

Adrien and Nino give each other a look, and so begins a warm, pleasant, engaging conversation between the four old-friends. Food was ordered and brought out, and they all ate in a fond contentedness. It had been so long since the four of them were together. Seeing Adrien and Nino and Alya all in the same place made a soft smile bloom on her lips. 

Marinette was finally settling into her skin, now awake and enjoying the company around the table. She sipped her tea delicately as jokes threw themselves from across the table. During a peaceful lull in the conversation, Adrien looked towards Marinette with an animated twinkle in his eyes.

"So, Marinette," He began, leaning down to rifle through his bag, "You said you were sending in applications to fashion industries, right?"

"Yep! That's what I'm doing! Or at least what I'm trying to do," She mumbled.

Adrien took a packet of paper and slid it towards the designer with a sly grin on his face. "Well, try no more; because I've got a good idea!" 

All three listeners leaned in, curiosity augmenting. 

"You see, my father is very picky about his employees, but when he started to vent about some of the interviews a few days ago, I thought immediately of Marinette!" 

Marinette gave a supirsed squek. 

"I asked Father if anyone could apply, and he said, 'Hypothetically,' which is as good as a yes in his book!" The blonde pushed the file further towards Marinette. "I was able to grab one of the application sheets on my way out today. Do you think you'll apply, Marinette?" He tilted his head a minuscule amount to one side. 

Rather than flustering at Adrien's attention, her eyes grew so wide you could almost see stars in them. "Me? Me, you mean, me working at Gabriel Fashion?! You don't think, well, do you think I could even make it past the interview? Would he even consider my application, or would he glance at it and throw it out the window?! I bet he wouldn't even look at my designs; I bet he'd burn them in his fireplace! Wait, does he have a fireplace? If he doesn't have one, I bet he'll buy one just to throw my application into!" Marinette cried. 

Alya slapped a palm to her head while Adrien simply shook his head from side to side. 

"Marinette, I doubt my father would do that. After winning all of his competitions in school and with how hard you've been working, I think you'd have a real shot!"

"Really?"

"Really," He smiled. "I think it would be impossible for him not to see how much good you could do for the company."

"Well, I don't know. I bet your dad has had a billion other competitions with a billion other students winning them thousand times more capable or talented, or, I don't know, something than me," She lamented. 

"Well, even if that were true, you're hardly forgettable, Marinette! I could almost promise that he remembers you; after all, out of all of my friends, he's met you're the most fashion inclined, which I'm sure left him with something memorable related to you."

Marinette cautiously picked up the application packet, eyes shifting from Adrien to Alya.

"Where do I..."

"All you need to know is in the packet."

Marinette held the papers to her chest with her eyebrows scrunched together. 

"Adrien, I don't know what to say; thank you so mu-"

"It's really no problem. You don't need to thank me; it's the least I could do for a friend." 

Adrien's always been so considerate; for him to think of Marinette when his dad was talking about taking in new employees-! So thoughtful! But could she really do it? Deep down, she knows that she could. But would she stop herself from succeeding by overthinking everything? No. That can't be; she's worked far too hard to be afraid of such an incredible opportunity. Lady luck has given her a gift; Adrien has given her a gift, and there's no way she's going to let it go without a fight. She would show Mr. Agreste that she could change the world and that if he didn't hire her, it would be his loss!

Marinette's worry-bitten lips curved into a smile so bright it could blind the sun. Hands curled into a passionate fist, she threw herself and the chair back and stood with determination, papers in hand. 

"Okay, okay, I can do this! Adrien, Alya, Nino! It was amazing having breakfast with you all, but I've got an application to fill out!" 

Giving a quick hug to all of her friends, she then packed up her purse and made a run for it towards her home. Tiki peaked up from her bag with a cheery smile.  
"This is so exciting, Marinette! I'm sure Adrien's dad will hire you; you're so talented!" Marinette glanced down and brought Tiki to eye level to give her a small kiss.

"Thank you, Tiki; I don't know if he'll like my designs, but the least I can do is try my best!" 

"That's the spirit, Marinette!" 

...

In another spot in Paris, sitting in the dark, was one Gabriel Agreste. For once, during his time alone, he did not dwell on his darkness. His son was back in Paris, and it made him more joyful than he would have liked to admit. Not only that, but the seed he planted for Adrien to tend to was almost sure to be of use. His eyes narrowed, strained by the dark.  
Yes, Ms. Dupain-Cheng would wander into the wolves den soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! This story will be from Marinette's perspective primarily. I am quite eager to continue writing this; I hope y'all are being safe with virus all about! :) Thank you and enjoy!


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